


Demon Hunters, Inc.

by enigmaticblue



Series: Demon Hunters [1]
Category: Angel: the Series
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-05
Updated: 2011-02-05
Packaged: 2017-10-15 10:29:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/159912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enigmaticblue/pseuds/enigmaticblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Faith’s presence doesn’t exactly surprise him, but then, Faith has always been unpredictable.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Demon Hunters, Inc.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Always_jbj](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Always_jbj/gifts).



> Written for alwaysjbj, who asked for Wesley/Faith and the prompt “saving each other”. Also, there’s a good chance this won’t be the last story I write in this series.

Wesley keeps his private eye license up to date, even though he’s mostly operating off the grid these days. He had always been a hell of a lot better with minutiae than Angel, and the license has come in handy a couple of times since striking out on his own.

 

He mostly hunts demons, but he’ll take the occasional mundane case—a girl who wants him to chase off an ex-boyfriend, a wife who suspects her husband of cheating and wants Wesley to get pictures, a man looking for his missing teenaged daughter. Wesley prefers hunting demons and vampires, to be completely honest. The human stories so rarely have happy endings.

 

When he returns to his office after following a promising lead on the missing teen—she had holed up with her boyfriend and is safe and sound—he finds Faith slumped in the chair across from his desk. Her presence doesn’t exactly surprise him, but then, Faith has always been unpredictable.

 

“Faith,” he says, closing the door behind him. “What a surprise.”

 

“That’s me, full of surprises,” Faith replies. “Nice place you got here.”

 

Wesley glances around the dusty basement office. It’s similar to the first set of offices Angel had, although it’s not as well lit, and the furniture is even more battered. “It does the job.”

 

“It’s like being in a noir film.”

 

“I didn’t know you were a fan.”

 

“Not a lot else on when you’re staying in cheap motel rooms,” Faith replies. “I’ve seen plenty of black and whites.”

 

The leather chair behind his desk squeaks as Wesley sits down. “Not that it isn’t nice to see you, but what brings you by?”

 

“Well, that’s funny,” Faith begins. “I’m off chasing down a pack of rampaging Fyarl demons when Buffy calls and says they had to retrieve a Slayer from Angel’s clutches.”

 

Wesley keeps a poker face with some difficulty. “I see.”

 

“She went crazy, Angel stops her from killing a bunch more people, but since he’s running Wolfram and Hart, Buffy doesn’t want to leave Dana with him.”

 

Wesley raises an eyebrow. “Hmm,” he says noncommittally.

 

Faith rolls her eyes. “Come on, Wes. This is you and me. We go back a ways. I remember when you were a green Watcher who screamed like a little girl at the sight of a real, live vampire.”

 

Wesley feels the beginning of a smile tilting up the corners of his mouth; it feels strange to smile now. It’s been too long. “I didn’t go back to Angel Investigations after we stopped Jasmine from taking over the world.”

 

“So, you don’t know what Angel is doing at the evil law firm?”

 

“I couldn’t presume to say.” He’s hoping that his response will be enough to shut down Faith’s inquiries. In the six months since he’d last seen his old team, Wesley has kept an ear out for any stories of Angel.

 

He’s heard a few things, enough to know that he had been wise to get out when he did—or to _stay_ out, rather.

 

“Fuck that noise,” Faith shoots back. “That’s bullshit and you know it.” She’s never been one to pull her punches. “I know you better than that.”

 

He gives up putting her off with a sigh. “As far as I know, Angel and the others have made a clean break with the Senior Partners. They are completely above-board and honest now.”

 

Faith frowns. “That’s not all you know.”

 

“I know that it’s difficult to leave the past behind.”

 

Faith raises her chin. “You and I are both prime examples of that. It doesn’t explain why you abandoned ship.”

 

Wesley _can’t_ explain it, not even to himself. He just knows there was a distance between him and Angel, between him and the rest of the group. Wesley remembers the gulf widening when Fred chose Gunn, when Angel had been wrapped up in a case, although Wesley doesn’t recall which case it was.

 

The memories are there, but just beyond his reach, and it’s one of those things Wesley tries not to think about too often. He’s not terribly happy that Faith has brought it up now.

 

“We weren’t seeing eye to eye,” Wesley finally says. “You must have seen that when you were here last.”

 

Faith frowns, confusion flitting across her face. “There’s something there, but I can’t remember.”

 

He feels alarm mixed with confusion. That Faith understands, that she notices a gap, too, suggests that there’s more to the problem than Wesley can see at the moment. He wants to poke at it, to figure out what happened, but he can’t summon up the energy.

 

“I know the feeling all too well,” Wesley finally says. “But I honestly don’t think I want to know.”

 

Faith nods, her dark eyes knowing. “I get that. So, what am I going to tell Buffy and Giles when they ask?”

 

“Tell them that Angel is doing his best to get things turned around, and that as far as I know he’s not evil.” Wesley shrugs. “Or you can go see Angel for yourself. I’m sure he’ll make time in his busy schedule.”

 

“Like he’s made time for you?” Faith queries.

 

Wesley offers a thin smile. “I haven’t tried.” He puts his hands on the desk. “If that’s all…”

 

Faith remains silent and still for a long moment, studying him. Wesley knows what she’s seeing—red-rimmed eyes, dark circles, faint bruising on his bottom lip from his last altercation, and three days worth of stubble. She sees a man who is hanging on by his fingertips, he thinks.

 

“Aren’t you going to invite me over for a drink?” she asks quietly.

 

He senses that Faith expects his rejection, that she is prepared for him to shut her out, and perversely, that prompts him to say, “I’m still living at the same place. You’re welcome to stay there while you’re in town.”

 

It’s been so long since he’s dealt with anyone other than his clients, since Wesley has had anyone around he could call a friend.

 

Wesley isn’t sure that Faith qualifies as a friend, but she has known him for longer than just about anyone, save for Angel, and they had reached an accord the last time she had been in Los Angeles.

 

No, that’s not true, Wesley admits, if only to himself. The only thing that had kept them from fucking each other stupid had been their respective injuries.

 

If he’s completely honest, he still wants to fuck her.

 

“Maybe I’ll stay for a while,” Faith tosses back. “It might be interesting.”

 

“I doubt it,” Wesley replies. “But you can stay as long as you like.”

 

She rises and circles his desk, standing so close that he can feel her body heat, smell the faint scent of soap and deodorant. “I _will_ have to visit with Angel sometime,” she offers almost apologetically.

 

He nods. “I know. I’ll go with you, if you like.”

 

She shrugs. “If you want.”

 

“And, if you wouldn’t mind consulting, I have a case I could use some help on.”

 

Faith raises her eyebrows. “Demon Hunters, Inc., huh?”

 

Wesley grins, and feels warmth spread through his chest. “Something like that, I suppose.”

 

“I’m in.” Faith touches his shoulder briefly, and Wesley thinks that neither of them is terribly good at human contact unless it’s a prelude to sex. “I could use a break from the rest of the Slayers, anyway.”

 

“Good,” he says, rising from his chair, and finding himself too far into Faith’s personal space. “That’s good.”

 

“You’re not going to make me sleep on the couch, are you?” Faith asks with a wicked smirk.

 

Wesley doesn’t falter. “No, I don’t think I will.”

 

“Even better,” Faith replies.

 

Wesley couldn’t agree more.


End file.
